HASSELL + MVRDV’s Proposal to Improve the Bay Area’s Resilience

Following recent natural disasters including the Northern California wildfires, the HASSELL + team have been inspired to reimagine the San Francisco Bay Area as a vibrant community hub, equipped to provide temporary facilities in an emergency. As part of the competition Resilient by Design, the ten teams were asked to provide solutions for the waterfront through site-specific conceptual design and collaborative research projects.

The HASSELL + team’s proposal integrates a network structure of ‘connectors’ and ‘collectors’ to improve the waterfront’s physical and social resilience. The recharged streets, creeks and enhanced ferry network are the ‘connectors’ that will become new slow and safe movement corridors to the points of collection, including adaptive open spaces that will socially recharge the area as a place for everyday gathering and civic celebration that can also provide the vital space needed for disaster assembly.

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Courtesy of MVRDV and HASSELL+

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Courtesy of MVRDV and HASSELL+

The team headed by HASSELL draws on their range of international perspectives; MVDRV, Deltares and Goudappel; to bring their wealth of experience for designing and understanding urban landscapes centered around water. In partnership with local experts – Lotus Water, Civic Edge, Page & Turnbull, Hatch, and Idyllist – they envisioned the social potential the waterfront could offer to communities.

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Courtesy of MVRDV and HASSELL+

HASSELL have previously worked with the Sydney Waterfront where they have taken items of functional necessity and transformed them into cultural icons that shape the brand image of the city. Their experience has led them to create a socially sustainable masterplan for the San Francisco Bay Area focusing on a range of different elements to help boost the vulnerable communities, healthcare, and local business. They believe, when designing for a disaster, it is important to forward think about how you will adapt and face the challenges as a result of climate change and the rising temperatures.

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Courtesy of MVRDV and HASSELL+

Applying their ‘collect and connect’ concept to the proposed sites, HASSEL + has envisioned a new Shoreline Park at Colma Creek. In order to reflect the community’s needs, HASSELL + will set up a drop-in center during the design process along Grand Avenue that is set to become a thriving hub. Working with the locals, they can draw on their ideas and opinions for the design solutions that will be presented this May. On top of the drop-in center, there will also be the opportunity to access a digital platform to visualize the plans for the Bay Area and get involved with the decision making.